By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Rivers
DELTA: Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed recent calls for his reinstatement, stating that those appeals reflect the personal sentiments of individuals and not his own position.
Speaking at a service of songs held in Port Harcourt in honour of the late elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, Fubara made it clear that he is not fixated on returning to Government House. His remarks followed repeated references to him as “Governor” by speakers at the event, many of whom condemned his suspension and urged his immediate return.
“Do you even know if I want to go back there? My spirit has already left there,” Fubara declared, suggesting a deep disinterest in reclaiming his former position at all costs.
The event, organised by the Rivers Elders Forum, was intended to celebrate the life and legacy of Chief Clark, but it became a stage for political sentiments as some elders and supporters took the opportunity to campaign for Fubara’s reinstatement. The embattled politician, however, distanced himself from the political undertones, warning that such actions, though well-meaning, were counterproductive.
“Not everything is by oshogbe,” he said in a subtle jab at confrontational politics. “Some of the things done by my people have only worsened the situation.”
Fubara urged attendees to redirect their focus to the late Clark’s legacy of selfless service and advocacy for the Niger Delta, rather than using the event to escalate political tensions.
His comments are seen as a shift in tone from the usual combative rhetoric surrounding Rivers State’s political crisis, offering a hint at a more measured, perhaps reconciliatory, approach.